Observaciones de dunn_r_20

This western honey bee had been collecting pollen from wildflowers along a sidewalk when pictured. It was less than an inch in length, had transparent veined wings, and had the classically recognized black stripes on its yellow body. The first section of its body was fuzzy, whike the striped section was not. It had large eyes and black legs; it back legs were thicker than the others.

Western honey bees are distributed throughout the entire globe thanks to introduction; they were originally from Europe and Africa. Among many other states in the US, western honey bees are found througout Florida. Their habitats must include flowers.

Appearance reference:

https://bugguide.net/node/view/3080

Habitat and Distribution References:

http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/honey_bee_712.html

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/BEES/euro_honey_bee.htm

This turkey tangle frogfruit specimen was found growing among grass and other wildflower species next to a sidewalk. The flower was very small in size, and topped a thin stem a few inches in height. Characteristic of its species, the floral part had a dense purple center surrounded by several small white flowers. The centers of the flowers varied between purple and yellow. The leaves had symmetrical veins and had ridged edges.

Turkey tangle frogfruit is a facultative upland evergreen angiosperm that is native to the Southeastern United States, and can be found throughout all of the southern states as well as a few northern states like Pennsilvania. Based on Florida specifically, it can be found in both north and south Florida. It grows best in moist soils, but can survive in dry conditions as well.

The above distribution information and characteristics/habitat information are from the website below:

https://shadyoakbutterflyfarm.com/products/frog-fruit-turkey-tangle-lippia-nodiflora-native-butterfly-host-plant

This eastern gray squirrel was spotted on a palm tree outside of the Interdisciplinary Science building on the USF campus. It exhibited defensive behavior upon discovery, as a cat was watching it from the base of the tree. The squirrel had the classic fluffy tail of its species and had a brown-gray coat with a white underbelly.

The eastern gray squirrel is a very common mammal that is distributed throughout the entire eastern United States up to Canada, as stated in the source below:

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus_carolinensis/

The squirrels specifically found on the USF campus enjoy a fairly unthreatened life where they survive off of the abundance of acorns and thrown-away food from college students when the opportunity arises.

This brown anole specimen was found resting beside a pool in a St. Augustine neighborhood on a sunny day. Based on its brown-patterned body and the light stripe down its back, it could easily be determined that it was of the brown anole species. Including its tail, the specimen was approximately 3 to 4 inches in length.

Brown anoles were originally from the Caribbean, but have become completely naturalized in Florida. Their range extends through most of Florida, excluding most of the panhandle. It can also be found in limited areas of Georgia.

The above information, as well as more appearance descriptions, are from the below source:

https://srelherp.uga.edu/lizards/anosag.htm

This willet specimen was found actively moving near the shore of a St. Augustine beach on a day with perfectly clear conditions. It had light brown/grey plummage with a lighter underbelly. Its slender beak and long legs are characteristic of its species, and was about a foot in height.

Willets are distributed throughout the coastal regions of both the East and West of the United States, living in beach or marsh habitats.

The above information about habitats, distribution, and appearance is sourced from the website below:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Willet/id

Mother of Thousands is an invasive succulent that originated in Madagascar, but has very much made an impact on Florida's ecosystem by disrupting sand dune habitats as well as a variety of other habitats. It spreads very easily through both asexual and sexual reproduction, and has become naturalized in the south-eastern states, as well as other countries.

This specimen was seen among others by the dunes bordering the parking lot of a beach in St. Augustine on a day with clear, sunny weather. Characteristic to its species, its dark stem was topped by several glossy, red-pink trumpet flowers.

The information from the above paragraphs was sourced from the two websites below:

https://worldofsucculents.com/kalanchoe-delagoensis-chandelier-plant-mother-of-thousands-mother-of-millions/

https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Bryophyllum_delagoense_(Mother-of-millions).htm

This specimen was spotted washed up on the shore at a beach in St. Augustine on a sunny day. It appeared to have been attached to a small object either covered in or composed of another aquatic species. The specimen itself was smaller than two inches in length. Characteristic to its name, this sea lettuce (a type of green algae) has a leafy, ruffled appearance. It is semi-transparent and is bright green in color.

Sea lettuce is a common algae that is distributed throughout oceans around the world in shallow-water habitats, and is easily found along the coasts of Florida.

The above information is from the source below:

http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/Ulva_lactuca.php

This fern specimin was observed growing in a small patch on the bark of a large oak tree within the city of St. Augustine.

The ferns were small in size, possessed rounded leaf blades, and were bright green in color. A selection of the individual fronds were tipped with yellow pigment.

This type of resurrection fern is distributed naturally as a native plant throughout most of the southern and eastern states of the USA. This data can be found through the USDA plants database, through the url below:

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PLPOM

The organism is described at Flora of North America:

www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500970